Category: Traveling

Eco-Travel: 8 Ways to Have a Green Family Vacation

It’s always fun to travel with your family, despite all the logistical issues that you have to overcome.

You have a lot more people to share the joy that you encounter during your trip, and you bond over your memories together. However, since many people are traveling with you, you are more likely to create waste in your journey.

If you’re the type of person who likes to prioritize sustainability when traveling, you might want to look for ways to go with your family without compromising your principles.

Luckily, it’s quite easy to have a green family vacation. Here are eight ways you can have that sustainable family vacation that you want:

Select a green destination

One of the best ways you can have a sustainable family vacation is by being particular about your destination.

When choosing your destination, look for places that are active in terms of their environmental sustainability. That way, you are supporting a site that cares for the environment.

Portugal is one destination that is active in terms of their approach to sustainable tourism in the country. Ecuador is another lovely destination that is also proactive in the protection of their natural habitats.

If you’re planning on going on a family vacation, consider going to these countries and support their causes.

Try to pack light

Whenever you’re packing for a trip, you should try and pack a few items to bring with you.

Packing light will help you have an easier time while in transit. Plus, you can also avoid incurring additional fees at the airport because your bag is not within their weight limit.

Aside from that, packing light affects how much carbon emissions your aircraft is going to emit, whether you are flying commercial or making use of one of the private jet cards programs out there and flying in the utmost comfort and style. The heavier the plane, the more carbon emissions it creates. Therefore, when you’re buying luggage, you should be conscious of how big it is to learn to limit yourself to the number of items that you can bring.

When you’re buying your luggage, it will be best if you purchase luggage sets so that you save money while you’re at it. These sets come with the carry-on baggage anyway, so you should get an entire collection, especially if you travel often.

Bring reusable items

Another way you can remain sustainable when traveling with your family is by using or bringing more usable items with you.

Bringing reusable items ensures that you don’t consume products that will end up becoming waste. You reduce the amount of plastic that you and your family leave behind when you are on vacation.

Each person should have their reusable water bottle as well as cutleries so that they don’t have to use plastic ones when they’re traveling. These reusable items can even come in biodegradable containers depending on which ones you buy.

Once you use these items, you can wash them, and they’ll be good as new.

Stay in eco-friendly accommodation

Looking for eco-friendly accommodations is also a way you can travel sustainably with your family.

If you’re booking a hotel, you can ask if they have or implement a green program where guests can learn how to be more environmentally-friendly while traveling. Or you can opt for Airbnb accommodation.

If you don’t manage to find any eco-friendly accommodations, you can apply green practices yourself.

For example, you should turn off everything in your room if you’re not using them. Asking your hotel room to reduce the times they replace your towels is also one way to be more environmentally conscious while staying at a hotel.

Use public transportation

As much as possible, try and use public transportation when you are in a new destination.

Using a private vehicle to travel creates a lot of gas emissions for only a few passengers. On the other hand, mass transit has a better ratio of fuel usage and gas emissions created per passenger.

Support local businesses

Supporting local businesses will help you be more eco-friendly during your vacation. For example, you can buy souvenirs from a small shop or eat at local restaurants.

Local businesses don’t use massive amounts of natural resources to maintain their business, so it’s more eco-friendly to support locals.

Research green and eco-activities

Make sure that the vacation activities you’ll do are sustainable. For example, you should avoid places that let you ride on elephants.

You can do your research online and see which ones in your destination are the least damaging to the environment and local wildlife.

Leave No Trace

No matter what you do, keep your trash in your body if there is no available trash bin anywhere. It would be even better if you find a way to recycle the garbage that you produce.

Also, keeping reusable items helps you to reduce the amount of waste that you create.

Final Thoughts

You can still sustainably travel even if you bring your family with you during a vacation. All you need is to prepare well before your trip.

Educating your family members will also help you travel sustainably.

In the meantime, you can try out the ways listed above so you can get started on having a green family vacation soon enough.

Tips for Planning an Amazing Road Trip Adventure

One of the most exciting adventures you can have is going on a road trip. Still, in order to make the most of it, you simply have to have a good plan. This includes choosing the route, possibly renting the vehicle (consider Limo Find), choosing the destination, making the itinerary, packing all the necessary gear, etc. This is especially true if you’ve never been on a road trip before.

A road trip can be taken pretty much at any time of the year, which means you have all the freedom to choose whenever suits you best. After all, freedom from having to stick to a plan somebody else made is the foundation of an experience that is a road trip. So, how should you prepare?

Packing list

Just like you make a list of the things you need to take on a regular holiday, you need to do the same when preparing for a road trip. However, this list is a bit longer. You should not forget to bring enough food that doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge, sufficient quantities of water, as well as gadgets, such as a camera, GPS, and appropriate chargers.

Also, you need a first-aid kit, toilet paper and other essentials that you wouldn’t pack if you were going to stay in a hotel. Make sure you have the right kind of clothes for the weather and don’t forget that you might need to sleep outdoors, so a sleeping bag is actually a good idea. And, bear in mind that your car also needs a few road trip accessories that can make a lot of difference and keep you out of uncomfortable situations.

Decide on your route

It’s crucial you make a solid, realistic plan when it comes to your itinerary and the distances you plan to cover. Make sure you have enough time to stop for rest and to enjoy the scenery or a town along the way. Another important thing to consider is definitely the weather. You may live in a warm area, but just a few hours’ drives from your home you might face totally different conditions, so make sure you and your vehicle are ready for such challenges.

Road safety first

Probably the most important thing when it comes to your road trip is to have a reliable and safe vehicle. It goes without saying that you need to have your car regularly serviced and have an extra service done before your trip. Another recommendation coming from the experts is to get your car insurance. It pays off to ask for car insurance quotes and choose the one that will suit your needs best. Knowing your options and all the details can save you a lot of worry and money. That way you`ll be covered and safe if something unforeseen happens.

Allow time for changes

Ideally, you should give yourself some extra time when planning a trip, in case you decide to take a detour or have a change of heart at the last moment. Remember that you are only responsible for yourself and your company, so if you wish to change the original plan, feel free to do so. Obsessing over a route and simply rushing just to make sure you stick to it will make you focus more on the plan than the experience and you just won’t be able to enjoy your trip.

Embrace nature on your trip

Taking a road trip with your family gives you an excellent opportunity to see new places and enjoy the great outdoors. You can also use that dull time while traveling from one place to another to seek ways to connect to nature. Utilize that time to explore interesting regions, soak up the sun and fresh air, play games with your kids, and learn about plants and wildlife. 

Who to travel with?

Your traveling companions can make the difference between a road trip from hell and the most memorable journey ever. Everyone onboard needs to expect to spend quite a lot of time in the car, sometimes hours on end, and if they aren’t ready for that challenge, they shouldn’t come along. 

A road trip can really be a great experience for everyone involved, but it can easily turn into a nightmare if you don’t plan it well. On the other hand, if you are ready, chances are you’ll have one of the best holidays in your life and you’ll start planning your next road trip as soon as this one ends!